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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. march — music
  3. drill — the tool
  4. ball — a great time
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. dip — to sink
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. march — the month
  12. ball — a dance
  13. drill — a practice
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. current — happening now
  16. current — electric
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. bear — the animal
  19. bear — the animal
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. current — of water
  22. march — the month
  23. snap — to click
  24. dip — a sauce

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com